Brassiere and framework therefor



Feb. 10, 1953 J. E, LILIENFELD BRASSIERE: AND FRAMEWORK THEREFOR FiledJune 22, 1950 INVENTOR. J u uus E. Ll LJENF'ELD Patented Feb. 10, 1953UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE .BRASSIERE AND FRAMEWORK THEREFOR Julius E.Lilienfeld, St. Thomas, V. 1.

Application June 22, 1950, Serial No. 169,699

This invention relates to a brassiere.

Broadly, it is an object of the invention to provide alight-weightbrass-iere which will stay positioned on the body withoutthe help of shoulder straps, is inexpensive to manufacture and is freelyaccessible to air circulation.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to make theresilient properties of the brassiere frame take over the function ofshoulder straps by providing a brassiere which has a framework ofresilient spring wire preset to a predetermined shape in combinationwith a fabric which provides form-giving breast coverings.

Another object is to provide means making the brassiere adaptable to anasymmetrically de- Claims. (Cl. 2-42) veloped female figure by an easilymovable memher.

A significant features of the invention is that the said framework is sopreset as to form a three dimensional curve, which means that the framedoes not lie fiat in a plane but is concave when looking at it from oneside and convex when looking at it from the other side. It looks verymuch like a butterfly with partly folded wings. While the brassiere isapplied to the female figure, its design requires that the convex sideof the frame be turned toward the wearer and then the resilient framedistorted until it fits in the position in which it is to be used. Thegeometrical feature of the latter arrangement is that any tangent planeto one loop is inclined to the corresponding plane of the other loop,the angle between the two said corresponding planes in the brassierepositioned upon the wearer being substantially of a sign opposite to theangle between said tangent planes when the framework is released fromsaid position.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference is had to the following detailed description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the brassire, the dot and dash linesshowing one loop made larger than the other for use for asymmetricbreasts.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the framework in three dimensions.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the sleeve which forms theendless wire into two loops.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of a modified sleeve provided withindents to secure the relative position of the two loops.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the rod with the loose tubingaround it.

Referring to the drawings, a resilient rod or wire 90, which may be ofsteel, Phosphor bronze, nickel chrome or other metal alloy, forms theresilient frame similar to the numeral eight. By presetting the frame,however, it is made to devi ate from a plane figure and curve in thethird dimension. One way to manufacture the frame is to preset the wireprior to Joining the ends by coiling'it around a cylindrical mandrelwhose diameter is determined by the amount of the intended butterflyeffect. Next, the ends are joined and formed into the aforesaid figureeightlike shape. The latter shape is maintained by a sleeve throughwhich the rod is passed twice in opposite directions and which may be insliding relation to the frame so as to allow, if needed, an asymmetricarrangement between the two loops.

The frame does not lie flat in a plane but is actually concave when seenfrom on side and convex when seen from the opposite side so that it has,somewhat the appearance of a butterfly with partly folded wings.

The wire frame is preferably made of .0045 to .0060 of an inch diameterby doubling up a length of approximately 37 inches of wire, then passingboth ends through a sleeve H and then joining the ends of the wire [2either by brazing or by force-fitting the sleeve over the ends or by anyother Well known means. The area about the joined ends can bemanipulated into the aforesaid sleeve ll so that it will be out ofsight. The sleeve may be rigidly fixed upon the approximate centralportion of the wire framework by indenting the same in a manner shown.in Fig. 4, e. g., by indents l3. Of course, numerous other means may beused to form the shape of the wire, to join the ends, and construct thsleeve suitably fitting the framework.

The wire framework may be covered with a tubular member of soft rubberor rubber-like material l8 which preferably has a bore substantiallylarger than the wire to cushion the frame upon the body, or coated withrubber by dipping it in a latex suspension and coagulating same upon thewire. The frame having thus been completed, the fabric M which maycomprise elastic yarns, may then be applied to the framework, creating apair of pockets to cover and support the breasts. A fabric may be usedfor the pockets which comprises a retiform base of substantiallyinelastic filaments in combination with a pattern of mutuallynon-intersecting form controlling elastic filaments crossing the patternof said inelastic filaments, as disclosed in United States patentapplications, Ser. Nos. 65,484 and 115,150 filed December 15, 1948, andSeptember 12, 1949, respectively.

In Fig. 2 the framework is shown with a more pronounced dip between thepockets so that the gown of the wearer may be of deeper cut in thecentral portion thereof and may be worn with out revealing thebrassiere.

In using the brassire, the wearer spreads the two loops in the form ofthe two wings of a butterfly with the convex side of the frameworktowards the body. The two loops of the frame- Work are then brought intocontact with the body of the wearer by forcing them against the opposingresilient force of the preset framework. The brassire; after it'hasbeenbrori'ghfiihtocontact withthe'bodmis' then fixed in' that positionby tightening the back straps l5 and I6 and. joining the same by hooksand eyes, snaps H, or other well known means.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thedetails ofii'con'struc tion and arrangement of parts without depart ingfrom the general spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A strapless brassire comprising a single resilient wire elementthreedimensionally curved and projecting onto the vertical plane jinutheshape 'of two 'loops 'forming' the figure 8, said loops "being adaptedto I encircle the breasts of the wearer; and a body encircling band;means at the ends of said-ba-nd-ior detachably cjoining v the endsthereof, said b'odyencircling bandeattached to the opposed verticesofthe' said figure 3; fabric attached to thesaid-wire element andforming pocket-s over the openings of saidfloops, said wire elementbeing prestressed to curve away from the wearer upon detachingthe'endsofsaid band.

2. The brassie're: according toclaim l; wherein" the" pockets are oi -anelastically :eizpansible material.

3. The bra'ssiere according to claim 1, wherein the pockets are of amaterial comprising a retiform base of substantially inelastic filamentsin combination with a (pattern, of mutually nonintersecting elasticfilaments crossing said inelastic filaments.

4. The brassiere according to claim 1, in which ,theresilientwireelement is formed into the shape of the figure 8 by means of a sleevethrough which said wire passes twice in opposite directions.

1 5. The brassiere according to claim 1, in which the resilient wireelement is formed into shape Number Name Date 1 ,837,958 Ferrero Dec.-22, 1931 23472 281 'Bruclerlin *June {7,- 4-949 2,480,643 GlickAug.-;30, 1949 2,508,037 "Roe --May '16; 1950

